Dr Muhammad Khan
Stanley Wolpert, the famous American historian was a great admirer of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He has written extensively about Pakistan and Indian, especially the post-colonial events of the subcontinent. While appreciating the leadership qualities of Quaid-i-Azam, he wrote; “Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.” Indeed, it was the unmatched leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali that, which persuaded the Hindu leadership of India and British rulers for the creation of a new state in Subcontinent, towards the end of colonial rule. In fact, based on Two Nations theory, creation of Pakistan in Subcontinent was not less than a miracle. It was indeed against the confluence of Hindu majority and British rulers in India. Hindu leadership never desired a division of India and emergence of a Muslim state based on a separate ideology.
Following the sudden deaths of the Quaid-i-Azam and his colleagues, there arose leadership crisis in Pakistan. The subsequent leadership lacked the vision, Quaid had for the growth and progress of this largest Muslim country of the world. The weaknesses of the Pakistani leadership were exploited by the rival forces, which were already conspiring to destabilize Pakistan. Since it was easy to make ingress into East Pakistan, therefore, India through its spying network started misleading the population of former East Pakistan. Unfortunately, the Pakistani leadership too was casual to keep an eye over the growing Indian influence in this part of Pakistan. The continuous Indian involvements in East Pakistan lead to the fateful day of Pakistani history, December 16, 1971. On this fateful day, Pakistan lost its Eastern wing, which was result of years of unrest among the masses of East Pakistan. Such a situation was created by two factors; internally, it was bad governance by the successive rulers and externally, it was Indian conspiracy to undo Pakistan.
Contrary to the Indian blame and blame of incumbent Bangladeshi Government, the famous India writer and scholar, Sarmila Bose, have revealed some of the realities of 1971 war. She rejected the blames of India and Bangladesh in her book entitled, “Dead Reckoning; Memories of the 1971 Bangladesh War” give a detail account of 1971, fall of East Pakistan. She made a mention of Indian intrusion and influence in former East Pakistan where Indian cultural invasion had a deep impact in all aspects, especially the educational system. The writer gave a detail account of the massacre, which took place in the former East Pakistan. As per her detail research, which she carried out on ground and after consulting the primary sources, it is revealed that, India and its supported terrorist outfit, Mukti Behani killed thousands of Beharis and those of West Pakistanis, who lived there. The Mukti Bahanis raided their houses and concentration camps and undertook mass killings. Later, India media portrayed those killed local Bangladeshi population to defame Pakistan and its armed forces.
The people of Pakistan have yet not forgotten the sad episode of 1971, once there took place another tragic incident on December 16, 2014 in Army Public School (APS) Peshawar. While the entire nation was fighting against the terrorism, the enemies of Pakistan planned another incident, killing 150 people in APS, Peshawar in the broad day light. Those attacked the school had come from Afghanistan and were fully supported by the Afghan spying network (NDS) in collaboration of RAW, the infamous Indian spying network. Those killed by these terrorists include 132 schoolchildren and remaining were teachers and staff members. This was a well-planned attack and date was chosen while keeping in view the tragic day of December 1971. The December 16, 1971 was an overt act of invasion and terrorism by the Eastern neighbour of Pakistan and 2014 APS attack was a covert act of terrorism planned and executed from the soil of our western neighbour. Even today, India is in constant search of exploiting Pakistani vulnerabilities. After illegal annexation of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, India is threatening Pakistan for dire consequences. It is threatening Pakistan for attacking Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. India is running terrorist networks in Afghanistan to support the terrorism and separatism in various parts of Pakistan.
Keeping in view the December tragedies, there is a growing need that, people and government of Pakistan must learn lessons. While maintaining the ideological basis of Pakistan, the masses must learn to live with unity and harmony, rejecting all avenues of divide on ethnic, sectarian or factional basis. At the level of ruling class, there is a need for bringing political stability and economic prosperity in the country. Government must address the prevailing socio-economic unrest among the masses through good governance and by providing equal and quality education to everyone. Besides, let us safeguard the sovereignty, integrity and national interests of Pakistan. Through well-conceived strategies and vision, Pakistani leadership must make political and diplomatic engagements with all countries of the region and with international community for a broader adequacy of Pakistani contributions towards global peace.
— The writer, a retired Brig, is Professor of Politics and International Relations at International Islamic University, Islamabad.